I was happy to join numerous other scholars in a discussion about Russia’s war on Ukraine and its ramifications for the global order, on Sunday April 17th at 9:30am, via Zoom. This discourse was sponsored by the Institute for Critical Social Theory and the full video is below.
New Publication: “Palingenetic Ultra-Nationalist Christianity: History, Identity, and the Falsity of Peripeteic Dialectics”
I am happy to report that my latest article, written for the Polish journal Praktyka Teoretyczna, has now been released. I am honored to have been published with the other esteemed scholars who contributed to this edition of the journal, entitled, “Latency of the Crisis,” and edited by Felipe Ziotti Narita and Jeremiah Morelock. My article can be found below:
On January 23rd, 2022, I participated in a discourse on the topic of Weltschmerz, or “world pain,” and its pervasiveness throughout the modern world. I was joined by my colleagues Seyed Javad Miri, Toraj Gilbert Moradi, Mehdi Shariati, and Rudolf J. Siebert. The video is below:
Below is my presentation in the “Weltschmerz: A Discourse on a Global Condition” roundtable event:
“Ali Shariati and Post-Colonial/Critical Social Theory” – Roundtable Discourse
I was honored to join several other scholars of Ali Shariati in a discussion of Shariati’s life and work. This roundtable convened in remembrance of Shariati’ premature death in 1975, just a four years before the Iranian revolution, which he contributed to. In my presentation, I talked about Shariati’s dialectics of religion, especially as it relates to the Hassan model of religious quietism vs. the Hussain model of religious activism. This modeling of Shi’i emancipatory activism is based on my book, “Ayatollah Khomeini and the Anatomy of the Islamic Revolution in Iran: Towards a Theory of Prophetic Charisma,” which was published by University Press of America. The entire discourse can be found in the two links below, as well as my excerpted presentation.
The presenters included: Sayed Hasan Akhlaq (USA), Dustin J. Byrd, (USA), Seyed Javad Miri (Iran), Michael Naughton (UK), Mehdi Shariati (USA), Esmaeil Zeiny (Malaysia)
“Philosophy and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century” – Roundtable Discourse – Nov. 11, 2021
I was honored to participate in another roundtable discussion of scholars on November 21st, 2021, for International Philosophy Day. Joined by scholars from the US, UK, Iran, and Malaysia, I discussed the need for philosophers and social theorists to think through the past, the present, and the future, especially as it relates to the catastrophes of history, the dysgenic nature of the present, and the trends that point to a challenging future. The links for Part 1, Part 2, and my presentation are below.
New Book Chapter: A Dialectical Approach to the Roman Religion of Utility: The Hinges of History, by Rudolf J. Siebert and Dustin J. Byrd
I was happy to join my doktorväter in this important endeavor: understanding the dialectical nature of Roman religion. Our chapter is rooted in the dialectical philosophy of Hegel, and explains the du et des (quid pro quo) aspects of ancient Roman religion. Information on the book, including the Table of Contents and a sample of the chapter, can be found below.
The book can be purchased through Franz Steiner Verlag’s website.
New Book by Rudolf J. Siebert, edited by Dustin J. Byrd
I’m pleased to announce that the book I edited, written by the critical theorist, theologian, and Hegelian, Rudolf J. Siebert, has just been released by Ekpyrosis Press. The book contains fifteen chapters of Siebert’s most important writings on Hegel and his relationship to the Frankfurt School’s Critical Theory as well as Hegel’s influence on Siebert’s own Critical Theory of Religion and Society. The essays contained in the book span from the 1970s to 2021. It is available both in paperback and hardcover via Ekpyrosis Press on Amazon.



The books can be purchased through Ekpyrosis Press on Amazon
Martyrdom and the Dialectics of Religion: ‘Ashura and Human Emancipation

Islamic Perspective Journal, Vol. 25 Spring 2021, now available.
I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Perspective Journal, Vol. 25, Spring 2021 is now available for download. Islamic Perspective Journal is a bi-annual, peer-reviewed journal, published by the London Academy of Iranian Studies, which includes all articles on all aspects of Islam and Muslims. If you are interested in submitting an essay for consideration in the journal, please email it to Seyed Javad Miri at: seyedjavad@hotmail.com
Also see my discourse on the topic of my essay in this edition of IPJ: